Weirdos
My mother had Alzheimer’s disease. Over the course of a decade, I witnessed her mental decline from mere “forgetfulness” to the inability to hold a thought for more than sixty seconds. Near the end, she had no memory of anything between childhood and the actual moment at hand.
Given that I’m genetically predisposed to develop the disease, I set out to do whatever I could to protect my own cognitive abilities. There’s no magic pill, of course. There are meds to slow the decline once a person has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, but no truly preventive medicine. And I can’t alter my genetics. However, studies point to various environmental and lifestyle factors that might contribute to the onset of Alzheimer’s. These are things I can control.
So I cleaned up my diet. I eliminated all forms of added sugar (cane sugar, molasses, honey, corn syrup, etc.). I began monitoring my groceries for unnecessary additives—synthetic dyes, preservatives, artificial flavoring and the like. I read labels for all my groceries—nixing anything containing questionable additives. I buy organic when possible.
I’ve witnessed physical benefits from my revised diet, but I understand some or all might be attributed to the placebo effect. Still, if altering my diet might help me reduce the chances of following in my mother’s demented footsteps, it’s worth it. I can see no downside other than forfeiting some sugar-highs.
After a half-dozen years, my dietary “sacrifices” don’t feel sacrificial in the least. My tastebuds are fully acclimated. I do, on occasion, indulge in a slice of cake or a bowl of ice cream, but it’s rare (and usually tastes overly sweet). My daughter makes a grand banana creme pie from scratch every Thanksgiving—and I eat it guilt-free. But if I suspect something’s not good for me—I don’t eat it. Among some folks, I have a reputation for eating “weird.” I can live with that.
So, I’m a weirdo. And you know who else is a weirdo? Our Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. In fact, I think RFK Jr. is a bona fide nut. His vacillating stance on immunizations could cause a pandemic. Creating doubt in vaccines that have served us well is not an avenue toward world health. Imagine where we’d be without small pox and polio vaccines.
But Kennedy recently said he wants to phase out artificial food colorings from the nation’s diet. Nobody needs to eat bright red cereal—especially given that studies link food dyes to hyperactivity and cognitive difficulties.
He claims to have an “understanding” with the food industry to remove six synthetic dyes by the end of 2026. Although, I’m not so sure how well the industry “understands.” According to the Washington Post, “WK Kellogg Co. … said it is reformulating its cereals to ensure those served in schools are dye-free and will work with the administration to ‘identify ways to effectively remove’ colors.”
Excuse me? How difficult can it be to just not add color in the first place? Does grain not puff or flake if it’s not tinted scarlet or chartreuse? I get it—red Hawaiian Punch tastes more punchy than colorless punch. My brain thinks so too. But brains can be retrained. It’s just that this education will cut into the food industry’s profits. That’s the sticking point.
I’m not suggesting we install food police. People should be allowed to eat all the red dye and sugar they want. But just as alcoholic beverages and tobacco products come with warnings, perhaps there should be a great deal more public training on the pitfalls of our national diet. If RFK Jr. could manage that, I’d soften my view of him as a nut.